Re: order-number

[Kyle Hayes <kyle540@quicknet.net>]

On Tue, 3 Aug 1999, Vendmanagers wrote:

> ******    message to minivend-users from "Vendmanagers" <vendmanager@mikroneuvos.fi>     ******
> 
> Hello all Mini-Vendors!
> 
> Does anybody know how and where MV generates (gets) order number?
> I don&#180;t mean ../etc/order.number file. I mean that I should program MVs
> order process little bit different and I should program system to generate
> (or get) right order-number in different page and later generate remaining
> part of  the order (confirm order and send order-mails etc).
> Is it in same place where mails are launched? If somebody knows, please tell
> filename and command(s).
> 
> Thanks very much if somebody can help.
> 
> Harri Makela

Harri,

I simply worked around it.  The order number is created in MV just before
the report page is used (during?).  I needed the order number _before_
this point.  I found it easier to add my own order number creation and
handling than to modify that of MV.  

On the checkout page, I generate an order number if needed.  During the
checkout profile processing, I use this order number to save the order
into an SQL database.  This way, I make sure that I get an early copy of
the order in case something dies between us and the client.  I save the
order info before I check the credit card for instance.  That way, I will
have an order saved even if something crashes just after the credit card
clears (and puts a DC on the client's account).  At least I will have some
way to track the information after the fact.  In a past life I dealt with
financial firms and you get very paranoid about handling money that way
:-)

Once the checkout profile passes, I move the order number into another
session variable and reset the old variable so that I know to generate
another order number if necessary.

So far, this has been working quite well.  MV's existing order number
system is still working in the background, but it is totally disconnected
from anything I am doing.

My last problem was making sure that the e-mail sent from MV had the
correct subject line.  Luckily the people on the list were able to tell me
to investigate mv_order_subject.  Once I set that correctly in the
checkout profile, my problems were solved.

MV is very flexible, but I wish there was a way to turn certain things off
entirely.

Best,
Kyle